Chapter 1099: Big Crack on the Body

"Boom!"

The earth trembled as a golden shadow descended from the sky, crashing heavily onto a mountaintop. Stones shattered, and flames erupted everywhere. The famous Fiery Golden Spear, renowned in the North, was embedded in a web-like impact crater, its hilt still trembling slightly. Its glow, however, was dim, a stark contrast to the brilliant sparkle of the golden battle-ax in the sky.

The man with golden eyes and dark armor stood silently in the air. The luxurious royal cloak was gone from his shoulders, and his dominant, gleaming halberd had fallen into the valley. His lips were paler than usual. He held only a single battle-ax, yet his presence was more terrifying than when he had arrived in full regalia, leaving all cultivators present breathless.

"Boom!"

Thunder continuously rumbled across the heavens and earth. The gloomy clouds seemed to lighten, and the dark, iridescent glow of the Guzhou Cauldron flickered across the sky for an instant before quickly dissipating.

From the sky, white sand and shattered glass began to fall. This white sand, fine as dust, poured down like a blizzard, covering the entire Baixiang Valley. Thousands of fragments of glass, some as large as human heads, others sparkling like interwoven stars, rained down.

Amidst this storm of glass, a shadow enveloped the land. It was a head, its ushnisha like a lotus, as massive as a mountain.

Guangchan's Dharma body was particularly unusual; it seemed not to have been cultivated by himself but rather through external power. At the moment the Dharma light collapsed, it did not immediately shatter but instead descended from the sky like a meteorite! The numerous monks and golden palaces that once stood upon this head, like crystalline talismans from two blessed grotto-heavens, were now dim and desolate. Palaces had collapsed, and the mouth hung limply open, its sharp, interlocking teeth revealing nothing beneath. The white cicada that had once nestled within his mouth was gone. And a bright gold-to-white line emerged from the ushnisha on his head, passing through the forehead, bridge of the nose, and lower lip of the skull, extending all the way to what appeared to be a severed neck.

"Boom!"

As the colossal head crashed into the valley, it toppled sideways. The two halves of its face slowly separated, falling heavily to either side and revealing the jade-like brain matter and white bones within. Split in two, the Mahakala had fallen.

'Guangchan is dead, killed in a single strike.'

The entire Baixiang Valley fell into profound silence. Li Jiangliang, standing beside Guangchan's remains, felt a chill run through him. He turned to look at his two brothers: Li Jiangxia remained rooted to the spot, speechless, while Li Jianglong watched silently, equally quiet. An unbelievable thought arose simultaneously in all three of their minds:

'One ax...'

Chang Yun silently clasped his hands, understanding dawned within him. Tuoba Ci, however, seemed to have been dazzled by the scorching golden light, staring incredulously at the grayish-white pupils of the corpse. Even he, as proud as he was, remained utterly silent. Guangchan was dead! He had fallen without even being able to connect with the Baoya!

'Is this... still a human?'

Who was Guangchan? The master of the Baoya Golden Land. To put it bluntly, Guangchan was not only a treasure of the Great Mu Dharma Realm but also someone cherished by the entire Buddhist cultivation lineage, a figure personally overseen by the Lord of the Great Mu Dharma Realm. His death was not merely the demise of a Fifth-Generation Mahakala; it signified that the Baoya Golden Land, a "cooked duck" in the hands of the Great Mu Dharma Realm and the Buddhist path, had suddenly taken flight, lost once more from their grasp! His death was comparable to that of a Seventh or even Eighth-Generation Great Mahakala!

Gao Fangjing felt dizzy and dared not look up, silently lowering his gaze. 'He calculated everything... The Wei Emperor's Red Broken Arrow caused the Baiqiang to cross the Tao River and be annihilated. Now, with this divine ability in his hands, he regards Tuoba Ci and Chang Yun as nothing... he even helped him...'

The same question arose in everyone's mind: 'Do we still fight?'

But the most terrified and disbelieving were the five Revered Ones. No one even bothered with the cracked Gate of Heaven anymore. As white sand and shattered glass rained from the sky, four of them hesitantly turned their heads to look at a single Revered One! This individual was one of the Saptava under Guangchan – Guangchan's own Revered One! The golden-bodied figure was deathly pale, standing as if in a dream. He could never have imagined... with just a single turn, his own Mahakala... a magnificent Fifth-Generation Mahakala, had fallen on the spot! The Baoya had vanished, yet his position was still tied to the Baoya, still within Guangchan's spiritual rank! When the Wrathful Manifestation fell years ago, and the Buddhist Lands were sealed, even the esteemed protector of the Northern Demon Subduing Temple, the direct descendant of the Wrathful Manifestation, despite all his methods and cultivation, was left half-dead, forced to live with a paralyzed Dharma body. How much more so for the already unstable minor Baoya...

He only had time to show a glimmer of despair before the iridescent glow of his body vanished. His life force surged out like a broken dam, emptying from his form. In but a single breath, with a scream, he exploded into a mist of blood in the air. There was no shattered glass, no golden sand; it was as if he were merely a mortal.

Yet, the silent Baixiang Valley was abruptly shaken by his scream. A pristine white sword light shot skyward, but countless pink pupils exploded in the air. A dazzling precious pearl burst, shattering the bluish-white light, and the Thousand-Eyed Golden Body standing on the hill vanished instantly!

Seeing the unfavorable situation, this Mahakala vanished without a word, abandoning his treasures and suffering a significant loss of vitality in the process! 'What else is there to fight for?! Even Guangchan, who possessed the Baoya, is dead!'

Zhelu found it unbelievably ludicrous. 'The South's strategy, once set in motion, is astonishing. After Li Zhouwei's kill, he merely looked slightly pale, and his divine ability wavered... What does this imply? It's as if the North inexplicably lost Guangchan, a combatant who could rank among the top three here!' With such a shift in power, it was enough to overturn the outcome of a major battle! Not to mention what other cultivators would think after witnessing this scene. The Guzhou Cauldron's colors were still flickering; who would be the next to be exiled and utterly destroyed? Zhelu would certainly not gamble on whether these immortal cultivators possessed means to restrain Li Zhouwei!

The moment Zhelu, the strongest among them, left, various divine abilities instantly erupted in the air, scattering in different directions, their colors dazzling. Before the rolling dark clouds could engulf the land, one golden body after another brazenly self-destructed! The Northern True Cultivators fled for their lives amidst these earth-shattering explosions of brilliant light!

However, Yang Ruizao's Guzhou Cauldron enveloped them with terrifying speed, extending in an instant. Those who were farther away, or previously caught by the Red Broken Arrow, fared somewhat better. But the Revered Ones who were close by and struggling to hold their own among the three Xuan cultivators had no time to self-destruct, or even the right to do so! Amidst the violently shattering brilliance, one of them was immediately demoted by exiled *qi* and perished on the spot. The remaining two stood frozen, speechless... Both were still engulfed in blazing fires of ignorance, with no path to heaven and no gate to earth!

The forces of Great Zhao crumbled like a collapsing mountain amidst the overwhelming white sand, scattering like a tide! Both Chen, who had been confronting Helian Wujiang, and Xianyao, who had been barely holding on against Murong Yan, had been struggling to delay. Now, they momentarily found release, retreating in disarray, exchanging glances of relief and shock!

Chen, his sword sheathed and face grave, the silently speechless Xianyao, the astonished Tinglan, and even Liu Bai, who had arrived with his sword in his arms, all looked towards Li Zhouwei. Words of praise and astonishment caught in their throats, turning into silence as they raised their brows to look at him:

'This was Yang Ruiyi's arrangement all along...'

'From beginning to end, it was a play orchestrated by Yang Ruiyi and Li Ximing... Such a meticulous calculation, even involving Dharma Manifestations, is no ordinary feat. We were all kept completely in the dark...'

Of course, there was also True Cultivator Zhaojing, Li Ximing, who now walked through the air, head held high and a smile on his face. 'Heh!'

This True Cultivator had long since put away his golden pagoda. With a wave of his sleeve, he meticulously picked up a white-skinned, gold-edged Profound Drum and a Female Water Lapis Lazuli Lotus Throne from among the shattered glass. He then selected a divine ability and picked up the heavily damaged *kasaya* (Buddhist robe) that lay on the ground. Now, with a slight flick of his finger, the golden spear on the ground leaped up like a young swallow returning to its nest, landing in his palm. The spear, seven feet five inches long, was stunning in color and blazed with fierce flames—truly a magnificent treasure! Naturally, no one dared to contend with the Li clan for these spoils of war, allowing Li Ximing to collect them to his heart's content!

Despite the satisfaction, Li Ximing still noticed the cracks on Li Zhouwei's Gate of Heaven. Regardless of how gratifying Guangchan's fall was, he secretly transmitted a slightly worried message:

'How are your injuries?'

Li Zhouwei remained motionless, appearing to be heavily injured and struggling to recover. In reality, a tempest raged within him, and various illusions flickered, appearing and disappearing before his eyes! The Clear Manifestation of Sun and Moon was giving feedback! The feedback from slaying Guangchan was truly significant... If he were to emerge from seclusion, his cultivation would have already surpassed that of True Cultivators like Helian Wujiang, who primarily relied on spells. Now, he had taken a massive leap, far outstripping him, reaching the third tier. Regrettably, although Chen had once categorized cultivators like Chi Buzhi and Chang Xiao into the second tier, cultivation was difficult to measure. The deeper and more profound it was, the vaster and more challenging it became. The gap between Chi Buzhi and Helian Wujiang was terrifyingly vast, enough to encompass more than two Azure Pond Sects. After this battle, Li Zhouwei now understood even more clearly the benefits of profound cultivation. This was something that subtly and greatly benefited him in combat and cultivation, and he was not in a hurry:

'It was just Guangchan... There is still an opportunity... Now that I have reached the Purple Immortal Threshold, I have plenty of time to stir up trouble!'

In response to Li Ximing's concern, he nodded slightly.

In truth, his condition was not good. Although his depleted divine power and magical energy were rapidly replenishing as the battle ended, the damage to the Gate of Heaven caused him extreme pain in his *Shengyang*, vibrating incessantly. 'Although the Gate of Heaven is formidable, it's not meant to be used this way and cannot withstand such damage. Had it been anyone else who took such a blow, their divine ability would surely be severely damaged, requiring over a decade to recuperate. Fortunately, my foundation is solid, my preparations ample, and I was wearing the royal cloak... so it's manageable...' The injury was neither light nor severe. He had recovered somewhat when the Red Broken Arrow was withdrawn, and his White Qilin life force had been stimulated to its peak, gaining immediate feedback after successfully navigating danger, allowing for an additional 90% repair rate... 'I estimate this feedback will stabilize my divine ability within three days, making it usable. It will become a minor injury in three months, and then fully used. I'll recuperate myself, take elixirs, and should be fine within a year.' 'It's just a pity that the *qingqi* of the Profound Vast Art can only repair the Dharma body, not divine abilities; otherwise, it would heal even faster!'

Seeing his senior nod with relief, the King of Wei, under the gaze of thousands, casually accepted the halberd carried by a qilin formed from rolling clouds. He inverted the blade, his golden eyes traversing the distance, landing on the two Revered Ones, clad in water and fire, standing meekly like quail:

'These are all merits for immortals...'

Seeing the fearsome god look their way, the two individuals turned deathly pale. Just as the curved blade began to turn, Yang Ruizao finally stepped forward from the crowd and respectfully said: "Your Majesty, please show mercy—we need to capture the Dedicating Emperor first."

Yang Ruizao was of no small seniority, yet he still felt intimidated facing Li Zhouwei. He lowered his gaze slightly, not meeting his eyes. Fortunately, the King of Wei nodded, took an imperial decree from his sleeve, and instructed: "Tinglan, Zhaojing, immediately return to reinforce and guard Tongmo and Xiping, to prevent any resurgence from West Shu."

While Li Zhouwei's arrival had certainly achieved the goal of severely defeating the various Buddhist factions, the South's strength was ultimately still a step weaker. Their current situation remained precarious; the system formed by Xuanmiao and Shanji was like a nail, both invading Jiangnan and simultaneously piercing the strategic waistline of Tangdao and Sanjiang, creating an awkward dilemma. 'Moreover, the Qing clan is unpredictable and would absolutely not hesitate to probe eastward again to undermine the gains made by Great Song... It's unavoidable.' If it came down to it, the safety of their own territories would undoubtedly take precedence over that of Great Song in the hearts of figures like Li Zhouwei and Chen. If anything serious were to happen, they would clearly not hesitate to abandon their current brilliant achievements.

To appease him, Yang Ruiyi had already dispatched Wen Qing from Ziyan, clearly having made prior arrangements. The two received their orders and immediately withdrew. With a clearer mind, Li Zhouwei then stated: "Baixiang has been conquered, and the Zhao cultivators have scattered. However, Baiye remains in a critical strategic position, backed by Xuanmiao. Should troops sally forth from there, our rear will surely be thrown into chaos. I ask that you all guard Baixiang Valley, using Zhuosha Mausoleum as a pocket to deter Baiye and Xuanmiao."

Everyone assented. The King of Wei then looked at Liu Bai and smiled: "Protector-General, please coordinate with me to cover east and west, and together, lift the siege on Tangdao!"

Golden light filled the heavens and earth.

East of Guanlong, north of Luoxia, where yellow earth sprawled and the majestic Taihang Mountains rose and fell with crisscrossing river valleys, five peaks stood tall, their summits devoid of trees. Countless golden temples and monasteries dotted their slopes, forming the Five Peaks Mountain of the Bright Dharma Realm. Its highest Dharma Realm was the Pure Clarity Platform.

Atop this Buddhist platform, countless golden statues were visible. To its side, the Western Platform was the Baoya Platform, housing innumerable temples and even more monks, with many cultivators flying about, residing there. However, at this moment, the atmosphere within the Baoya Platform was strange. Footsteps were chaotic, and numerous monks hurried up and down, coming and going, either whispering to each other or speaking in furious tones. Some eminent monks even vomited blood and collapsed, being hastily carried away into the temples.

Amidst the clamor, an old monk hurried up, his face filled with dread. He pushed open the doors of the highest temple and entered. In the center stood a statue with golden eyes and a bare body, radiating infinite light, seated upon a qilin. It soared to a height of ninety-nine zhang and nine chi, just one chi shorter than the Supreme Statue on the Pure Clarity Platform. To its side was another statue, that of a handsome monk with clear brows and eyes, his body pure white and fifty-five zhang tall. But at this moment... a gold-and-white mark was spreading downwards from the handsome monk's smooth head, disappearing into his collar!

The sight was all too clear! "My Lord!"

The old monk's heart shattered. He immediately fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably, overcome with both fear and madness. After crying for a long while, he stumbled out, lamenting: "Quickly, go fetch... quickly go fetch the Junior Martial Grand-Uncle!"

But all the clamor in the temple instantly quieted. A pair of plain cloth shoes stepped into the hall. A young monk in black robes helped the old man to his feet, his face complex. Wiping away the tears from the old man's face, he raised his brows and looked at the shattered statue. This revered statue appeared as if it could shatter at any moment, yet an invisible radiance bound its form, making it whole. The dense network of cracks seemed to be its decoration, perfectly harmonizing with its body. Strangely, the *kasaya* (Buddhist robe) itself remained unbroken.

The black-robed monk watched for a moment, then stepped forward and extended his hand. The *kasaya* on the statue dissolved into brilliant light, like a magnificent waterfall, spilling across the floor. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he spoke quietly:

"With the Great Learning embodied, my nephew's wish has been fulfilled. He did not die with regret."